Samuel Kirkland Lothrop
Samuel Kirkland Lothrop was an archaeologist and anthropologist who specialized in Central and South American Studies. As a result of taking part in numerous excavations in the Central and South American areas, he made many written contributions to the field of study. He is also known for obtaining the unique privilege to perform excavations in Argentine Territory as well as his excavations of the Stone spheres of Costa Rica. Today his work, Pottery of Costa Rica and Nicaragua, is still considered the ultimate authority on such subjects.[1]
Early Life
A descendent of his namesake,Samuel Kirkland Lothrop, a prominent Unitarian Minister[2] , he was born in Milton Massachusetts on July 6, 1892 to William and Alice Lothrop. His childhood was split between Massachusetts and Puerto Rico. Little is known about the development of Lothrop’s interest South America only that it may have been sparked early on in his childhood when he spent time in Puerto Rico where his father was a banker with interests in the sugar industry .[3]
Education
Lothrop began his education at Groton School, a boarding school in Massachusetts. He entered Harvard in 1911, where he completed his undergraduate studies in 1915. The year before he graduated he married Rachel Warren of Boston. After completing his undergraduate studies he began Graduate School at Harvard focusing on anthropology and archaeology.[1] He traveled extensively throughout Central America as an associate to the Peabody Museum of Harvard, excavating various areas and studying collections. His travels and excavations were interrupted by the eruption ofWorld War I, where he served in Military Intelligence.[4] After the war, he returned to his graduate work eventually earning his Ph.D. with his thesis work published in 1926 titled: Pottery of Costa Rica and Nicaragua.[1]
Military Career
As stated earlier, Lothrop served as a spy in WWI. Using anthropologists for gathering intelligence was a common practice of the time. Given their ability to observe cultural practices as well as those useful to strategies of war, not to mention the fact that they could use their careers as a cover for their intelligence gathering, anthropologists are ideal choices for spies.[5] During WWII, he was not excavating once again, because of the time spent working for the military. His position in the military did however give him the opportunity to travel while compositing notes on various sites.[1]
Career
After completing his doctorate studies, Lothrop worked field excavations in the Yucatan and Guatemala under the employment of the Carnegie Institution’s Historical Division. His research resulted in the 1924 publishing of the monograph of his mapping of the Mayan Ruin of Tulum. From 1924 until the end of the stock market crash in 1929 Samuel Kirkland Lothrop was employed by the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation. It was during 1929 also that he married his second wife, Eleanor Bachman of Philadelphia. His work while he was on staff at the museum was also focused on Latin America and it was during this time that he established a relationship with Fernando Marquez Miranda. It was through this relationship that Lothrop was one of the few foreigners allowed to conduct excavations in Argentine Territory. In the 1930’s after the extinguishing of the museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, Lothrop returned to the Peabody Museum staff as field director of the Sitio Conte in Central Panama.[1] Before Lothrop returned to the staff, the Peabody museum purchased a collection of jewelry excavated from a burial ground. After obtaining permission from the government and the landowner the museum excavated the burial grounds during the dry seasons from 1930-1933.
- ^ a b c d e [Willey, Gordon R. Samuel Kirkland Lothrop: July 6, 1892-January 10, 1965. Washington, D.C.: National Academy of Sciences, 1976. Print.]
- ^ [Lothrop, Thorton Kirkland. Some Reminiscences of the Life of Samuel Kirkland Lothrop. Cambridge: John Wilson and Son. UP, 1888. Print.]
- ^ [Ayala, César J. American Sugar Kingdom: the Plantation Economy of the Spanish Caribbean, 1898-1934. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina, 1999. Print.]
- ^ [Harris, Charles H., and Louis R. Sadler. The Archaeologist Was a Spy: Sylvanus G. Morley and the Office of Naval intelligence. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico, 2003. Print.]
- ^ [Lothrop, By Eleanor. "Mysterious Stone Spheres of Costa Rica and a US Agent, Page 1." AboveTopSecret.com - The Leading Site For Conspiracy Theories, UFO, Paranormal, Political Madness, and Other "Alternative Topics" Web. 25 Oct. 2010. <http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread559828/pg1>.]